Bracelet.



N0. 839,538. PATENTBD DEC. 25, 1906. G. BECKER.

BRACELET.

APPLIUATION FILED JUNE 2a. 190e.

l:EN VENTDE 1H: NoRRls PETERS ca., wnsmrvcrrmv, n. c.

-wIz-NESEEE nnrrnn srafrns GEORGE BECKER, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

BRACELET.

Specieaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 25, 1 906.

Application tiled June 28,1906. Serial No. 323.839.

To all whom, t 7mo/,y com/'crier Beit known that I, GEORGE BECKER, acitizen ot the United States, residing at Providence, in the county otProvidence and State ot Rhode Island, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Bracelets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to an improvement in bracelets, and moreparticularly to an improvement in that form of bracelets known asextensible bracelets.

The object of my invention is 'to improve the construction ot abracelet, whereby the bracelet having rigid semicircular halt members isadapted to have the halt members extended when required to form a largerapproximately oval bracelet.

A further object ot my invention is 1o construct a bracelet having rigidsemicircular halt members7 so that the halt members will close together'automatically when released.

A still further obj ectl ot my invention is to open or increase the sizeof a bracelet having rigid semicircular halt members Withoutdisconnecting the members of the bracelet.

A final object of my invention is to simplify the construction of' anextensible bracelet, thereby reducing 'the cost of manufacturing 'thesame.

My invention consists in the peculiar and novel construction of anextensible bracelet having tubular members forming rigid semicircularhalves, means whereby the tubular members may be extended into an openposil tion to increase the size of the bracelet and to automaticallyclose the members when released, With details of construction, as willbe more Jfully set forth hereinafter and claimed.

Figure 1 is a side view of the bracelet, showing the same in the closedor contracted position in full lines andin the open or extended positionin broken lines. Fig. 2 is a greatlyenlarged detail sectional view takenlengthwise through one of the joints of the bracelet on a line drawncentrally from the inner 'to the outer face of the bracelet and showingthe same .in the closed or contracted position. Fig. 3 is an enlargedsectional view similar to Fig. 2 with the bracelet in the open orextended position, and Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken online 4 4 of Fig. 3 looking at the end of one of the rigid tubularmembers ot the bracelet.

In the drawings, a indicates one tubular member forming a semicircularhalf, b, the

opposite tubular member forming a semicircular halt; c c, the tlexibleconnectinglinks, d d, the chains on the ends of the connecting-link; cc, the buttons on the ends of the chains; fj, the retaining members inthe open ends ot the halves (L and l), and g g the coiled springs in theretaining members of my improved extensible bracelet.

The,semicircular halt members a and are constructed vfrom a 'tube whichis circular or oval in cross-section. T he member a has the open ends 5and 6. The member I) has the open ends '7 and S. The ends 5 and 7 andthe ends 6 and S coincide when the bracelet is contracted or closed andare held together under spring tension by a connecting-link c and itsadjoining parts.

The tlexible connecting-links c c each consist of a strip of thin.tempered metal having a hole in each end, through which the stoprings 9Q are secured to the ends orn 'the links, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Oneend of each chain d is secured 'to a stop-ring 9, the opposite end beingsecured to the eye 10 ot the button e, which is slight ly smaller indiameter than the interior ot the tubular halt member s a and l) of thebracelet. The retaining members ff are each constructed from a tube bentto conform to the contour of the bracelet and constructed to have theopen end 11 and the closed semispherical end 12, in Which is the centraloblong slotI 13, through which the connecting-link c extends. A coiledspring g surrounds each of the chains d in the retaining members ff, oneend of the spring bearing against the closed end 12 of the retainingmember and the opposite end of the spring bearing on the button e. Theretaining members f f are secured in the open ends of the halt members aand l) by solder or other' means in a position for the semisphericalends 12 12 of the members ff to protrude from the ends 6 and 7 into theopen ends 5k and S ot the half members when the bracelet is closed, asshown in full lines in Figs. 1 and 2.

The bracelet is opened by pulling the half members a and of the braceletapart against the tension of the coiled springs g g. This opening orextension movement ot the bracelet is limited by the stop-rings 9 9 onthe ends of the connecting-link engaging With the closed ends 12 12 ofthe retaining members ff, as shown in Fig. 3. Vh'en the half members ofthe bracelet are released, they close IOS through the tension of thecoiled springs g g, Which, acting on the buttons e e and the closed endsof the retaining members f f, force the half members of the bracelettogether, as shown in Fig. 2. The half members When closed are held fromside movement by the semispherical ends l2 12 of the retaining membersff in the ends 6 and 7, protruding into the open ends 5 and 8 of thehalf member forming the shell oi the brace- It is evident that thebracelet could have a lesser or a greater opening movement by varyingthe length of the connecting-links c c or the length of the chains d d,or the chains d d could be dispensed With by length ening theconnecting-links c c and securing the buttons e e to the stop-rings 9 9.The links e e could be constructed of flexible spring-Wire With the endsformed into the stop-rings 9 9 and the half members a and b shaped toform an oval bracelet, if desired, Without materially aecting the spiritof my invention.

Having thus described my invention, l claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patentl. A bracelet comprising a pair of tubular members,adapted for abutting engagement at their adjacent ends, a pair ofretaining members carried by each of the tubular members, said retainingmembers being received Within the ends of said tubular members, one ofeach of the pairs projecting beyond the end of its tubular member, andthe retaining member of the opposite section having its outer enddisposed a slight distance Within the end of its tubular member, each ofsaid retaining members having an outer closed end and an inner open end,a connecting-link passed through the closed ends of each of saidretaining members, chains, one connected to each end of each link, abutton on the inner end of each chain, and spiral springs engaging eachof the buttons at one end and the closed ends of the retaining membersat their opposite ends.

2. A bracelet comprising rigid tubular members forming the shell of thebracelet, iieXible connecting-links in the form of a flat metal strip,chains, one connected to each end of each link, tWo pairs of coiledsprings surrounding the connecting parts contained Within the ends ofthe tubular members, retaining members in the ends of the tubularmembers, eachhaving an open end and a closed end semicircular in form,the latter serving to form an abutment for the coiled springs, saidsemicircular ends Aeach having a central slot through Which said linkspass, means on the ends of the chains against which the inner ends ofsaid springs abut, and rings connecting said chains With said linksadapted to act as stops by engagement With said semicircular ends of theretaining members.

3. A bracelet comprising rigid tubular members forming the shell oi thebracelet, adapted for abutmentat their adjacent ends, a pair ofretaining members carried by each of the tubular members said retainingmem bers being received Within the ends of the tubular members, each ofsaid retaining members having an outer closed end and an inner open end,a connectingdink passed through the outer ends of' said retainingmembers, chains, one connected to each end of each link, a button on theinner end of each chain, and spiral springs engaging each of the buttonsat one end, and the closed end of each oi the retaining members at theiropposite ends.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

GEORGE BECKER.

Witnesses:

ADA E. HAGERTY, J. H. MILLER.

